Please read the following excert from Peter A. Facione's article, "Critical Thinking: What It Is and Why It Counts" and then discuss the implications of what he is saying.
George Carlin worked “critical
thinking” into one of his monologue rants on
the perils of trusting our lives and fortunes
to the decision-making of a gullible,
uninformed, and unreflective citizenry. The
argument that higher education, while surely
both, is more of a public good than a private
good, is beginning to be recognized. Is it not
a wiser social policy to invest in the
education of the future workforce, rather
than to suffer the financial loses and endure
the fiscal and social burdens associated
with economic weakness, public health
problems, crime, and avoidable poverty?
Teach people to make good decisions and
you equip them to improve their own futures
and become contributing members of
society, rather than burdens on society.
Becoming educated and practicing good
judgment does not absolutely guarantee a
life of happiness, virtue, or economic
success, but it surely offers a better chance
at those things. And it is clearly better than
enduring the consequences of making bad
decisions and better than burdening friends,
family, and all the rest of us with the
unwanted and avoidable consequences of
those poor choices.
19 comments:
I completely agree with the idea of educating citizens so that they may make smarter decisions rather than absorbing people into the system and simply writing them off as bad apples. I think education, even though it doesn’t prevent all problems, is a good starter for the betterment of people. Education allows people to make informed decisions about issues that really matter, such as their career path, romantic partner, education of their children, elections, etc., just to name a few. Of course, there’s no guarantee with anything in the world, but education is empowering - and with confidence, many great things are possible.
The obvious problem is the many people that don’t care about being educated or bettering themselves. Many people in the world don’t want that kind of responsibility because the more responsibility a person has, the more everyone will expect from them.
I agree that being educated gives you a better opportunity to succeed in life but does not guarantee success. When I speak about education its not only in the classroom but about life in general. Sometimes the only way to be "educated" is to experience it whether it is good or bad. So to couple the two, book smarts and common sense, would equip a person with what is necessary to deal in life.
What some don't seem to understand is that some of the biggest crooks in the world are very educated and have more common sense than most, but choose not to apply it and take another route in life.
On the statement about higher education starting to be noticed as more of a public good than a private can true on this one OPINION basis.In the past and the present we or someone has knowledge of someone receiving a position not because of education but because of the buddy,buddy network. Not saying this couldn't be a supreme benefit for some but if some one did get a position this way make sure you learn the position quickly. Now as for higher education, Iwouldn't be here if I didn't think it would benefit me in the long run. After being otu of school and in the workplace for over twenty years you live and learn alot. It has come to the point that without ever thinking about your future and the way the world is changing you'll subject to fall into a workplace slump. No diversity. You have no way to sell yourself as THAT PACKAGE that companieswant and need.
I dont know, its a difficult question for me to answer because i have no experience to speak of with the consequences of lack of education. What i do know is that ever since i was little my parents and their friends stressed education as the path to success in the future, i mean i see the value of knowing things, but then again, are they teaching what you need to know is what im wondering. i mean look at how much people forget over the years, did we need to learn what we forgot? could we have replaced it with something more worthwhile??
Education is a topic that everyone has an opinion on, usually with good reason. I feel that education is more of a building block than a foundation. However, it is a very important building block because of everything else that is added to the base of what you know. I will say this, just because you are educated, doesnt mean you will have the perfect life, but there is an extended chance you may have a more productive future if you stay on the appropriate path. People not wanting the better themselves, probably comes from a lack of motivation or they are in a comfort zone and like the routine. Education is important, but it is not the only thing that will get you places in life.
I agree that education is fundamental. Ignorance is the basis for a lot of problems in society today. A good education can only take a person so far. A degree does not make a person, the person makes the degree. Today only a percentage of people care to get educated and advance in that manner, most people just want the quick fix to rise to the top. Today's society is mostly about money. How quickly can you make it and how fast you can spend it. Unfortunately is not about getting degrees and improving your mind and life though education.
I have to agree with the posts before me. Many people go out into the education world, just wanting a degree and not actually wanting to learn what comes with the degree. I think that if people are taught that education can lift burdens from themselves and others around them, more people would probably do it. I personally grew up already knowing that having an education can take you far in life, however, I have a degree and it still hasn't taken burdens off me! I think where you apply your education is what really helps you in the long run, which is why I chose to continue with school and get as much education I can.
I think that there are alot of people today that are also told that you dont NEED 5 degrees in order to be successful, and that can be true too. Like I said before, I think it's all about where you apply your skills (if you have a specific one) that can take you far in life, regardless of your education level.
I agree that having an education does not mean you will be happy and have the life that you want. I think that for some people it is the right thing to do to go to college after high school. Many people go into college and they do not take it seriously and they waste money and their grades are horrible. Some others choose to go a different route and may experience hardships or have a slightly harder route but when they are able to start college with its 5, 10 or 20 years later they may appreciate it more.
Some people are smart and educated and they still make bad choices. I think that some people who are not educated may make really bad choices. I think that it really depends on the individual and what they are looking to gain in life.
As someone in college, I would hope to agree that education is a great thing. That everyone should get a good education, and learn something that they didnt know. However, not that many people can see that.Being educated in a certain sense, can help you actually become a better person. But believe it or not, there are actually people out there, with the education to go somewhere and make something of themselves, and many of them, still run the streets, and get themselves into trouble. I guess its more of a matter or want and perspective
It's true that we tend to do things that are good in the public eye but not for ourselves. Teaching people to make good decisions and making it easier to improve their future is a sound idea but it takes away the experience. I personally think learning from mistakes is very valuable and sometimes better than taking the same advice. You can't have others live your life but their advice should always be welcomed.
Education is paramount for the future of society. While I am all for education, lack of common sense and good decision making skills can override any education one may get. I always tell my niece and nephew that an education is the one thing that no one can ever take away from you but you have to use good sense as well. I feel Americans do not put the emphasis on education that we once did. We much educate our younger generations to ensure we can compete with the rest of the world. Many countries have prospered and are no longer considered Third World Countries because of the education system they have in place. China and India are blowing us away when it comes to ensuring our children are properly educated.
Education is a wonderful thing to have and everyone has there own ideas on education. Some people feel that if you have a higher education and all the money that you have status in the world and that you are all that and more. You need more that education and money you need to be a great and nice person also. There are some people that have the best education and still fall short; I think it all comes down to luck and where you apply yourself.
I think education is a big part of a person's life and it does give you a chance to succeed. It just depends on how seriously you want to take your education to the next level. Some people make bad decisions, it's just a part of life. But a high education may change the way you think, and hopefully you will make the right decisions as you grow. From my experience, I've realized that the older you are, you learn from you mistakes. In a career situation, if you do not have the right connections to succeed, then education might be a good option. Education helps you think more about what's going around in the world and about life. The future is always in your hands, you just got to figure out if you want to hold on to it or throw it away.
Being an educated person these days will help you a lot better than back in the day. A lot of people would love to get an education but the general point is that a lot of people just do not have the money to go an get a better education. People realize, most, that if you do not get your education that you will get a job that you will not enjoy and that you will be miserable doing what you will do for the rest of your life. I believe that parents have to instill in their children that education is important and that these days you need an education to make it.To me education is a wonderful thing and I think that everyone should get the opportunity to further their education. i know that i am glad that i got the chance to continue my education, it is a great thing.
Knowledge will take you a long way. I will have to agree with this passage by Peter A. Facione's. It's like John Naisbitt says, We are drowning in information but starved for knowledge. So many people in the world refuse to learn, whether it's in today's educational system, or the fear this new generation has of working. Everyone always looks for the easy way out which could either deter them from completing the job or learning from their mistakes. An educated person is not necessarily book smart or someone who doesn't make any mistakes, but an educated person is someone who learns from their mistakes and uses that knowledge in later events. It is not difficult to succeed in life just dont give up and learn to work at your full potential.
Much like the others, I believe education is very important. This sentiment has always been strong in my immediate family. My father had to give up a full scholarship to raise his family. Instead of being bitter, he instilled a strong sense of worth through education. Even though at times, we can be hard on ourselves for not "getting it", the journey will always be worthwhile. This said, education in all forms should be of up most importance.
I believe that having a good education is a valuable tool to succeed in life. With an education you stand a better chance of a great job that will aid in your success in life. Along with that is to have common sense and great life skills. I f you don't have that you fancy education will get you know where.
For those people that don't take the time to get and education become a burden on the rest of the nation. I will have to work harder to compensate for more taxes that I would have to pay to help fund unemployment and other programs that help people with other jobs.
I agree education is important. It can help you in more ways than you can imagine. Its dosent cement your way through life you can still come up short even though you are very educated. We just need to be tought at a very young age and guided right to know that it is important that we need that knowledge.
I agree that is essential to have a good education and be taught to make better decision. I believe most people have a good head but they don't apply themselves when making life decisions. Me and my friends talk about it everyday; yet, everyday we still do the same stuff. It takes discipline and dedication to get to where you want to be in life. Without discipline and a good education you will be making 7.00/hr for the remainder of your life.. Most people will believe anything you tell them, so you have to be careful and choose your words wisely. Instead of the government wasting all their time trying to educate the people as a mass, they should realize that everyone is not the same; therefore, it would be impossible for them to expect everyone to learn the same way. I agree that we should focus more on making better life decisions.
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